


Bonds of Water

by Seraph Luray (PastelPanda)



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Armatization, Armatus, M/M, also dancing in the rain bc yes, and a smooch in the rain, and also tickle fights, bc I feel like when they armatize it's different than Sorey armatizing w the others, inner musings, or Rose armatizing with Mikleo, yeah it's a ton of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 15:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11785893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelPanda/pseuds/Seraph%20Luray
Summary: It's a rush of feelings that can barely be put into words.





	Bonds of Water

**Author's Note:**

> This is set during the sequence in Pendrago, after Mikleo shows off his Spectral Cloak but before the trip to Gododdin, so it's still raining. Also, the dance kinda pulls from Azura's dance in Fire Emblem Fates, and the glowy nails are from Tales of Legendia.

_He is water, cool and clear and calm.  He is the gentle current of a stream, the raging tides of a storm.  He is the color of the sky and depths, the color of ice and snow._

_He is comfort.  He is memories of home, of long nights under a sea of stars, of laughter and joy and worry and tears.  He is memories of old books and heated debates, of theories and questions and hypotheses.  He is memories of ice cream and warm hugs._

_He is quiet, a serenity that clears troubled thoughts.  He is encouraging whispers, gentle guidance.  He is a soothing balm to the aches of war, the scars of battle.  He is a melody as clear as a bell, as beautiful as an angel's hymn.  He is peace, he is rest._

_He is my world._

* * *

_He is sunlight, warm and bright.  He is beaming smiles and joyous laughter.  He is happiness and light, golden rays and emerald depths._

_He is confidence, determination.  He is passion and unwavering goals.  He is the color of the sun and stars, of the night, of the moon and the earth.  He is memories of early morning breezes, of the scent of leather and parchment, of adventures and studies.  He is joy and laughter and love._

_He is action, never at rest, always in motion.  He is energy, a nudge to keep pushing onward.  He is compassion and purity, he is kindness and soft embraces and hope._

_He is my everything._

* * *

"Whew, that's it for today!  I'm beat!"

Rose stretched languidly as the blue flames of the last purified hellion subsided, casting a glance to the Shepherd as he lowered his bow.  Sorey breathed a sigh, feeling the ebb of Mikleo separating from him and leaving emptiness behind.

"We should be safe to head back to the inn," Dezel noted, his arms folded over his chest.  Rose nodded, before returning her attention to the other two.

"If we have to fight one more hellion in this rain, I'm going to scream.  I'm frickin' freezing!"

 ** _"Hopefully that's the last of the hellions for a while,"_** Lailah mused from within Sorey (followed by a titter as Rose yelped).

"Yeah.  Rose, you and Dezel can go on ahead if you want," Sorey said absentmindedly.  "Take Edna and Lailah with you."

"You aren't coming with us?"  Sorey could practically feel Dezel's suspicion, but before he could fumble up an excuse, Mikleo had spoken.

"He's always liked the rain, even back home in Elysia," Mikleo replied.  "We'll catch up later, don't worry."

 _ **"Lady Meebo just wants time alone with his knight in shining armor,"**_ quipped Edna, drawing another laugh from Lailah and a cackle from Rose.  Mikleo's face tinted pink, the water seraph reduced to spluttering helplessly as their remaining companions left their vessel.  Edna gave Mikleo a light jab in the side with her parasol, smirking as she lifted it over her head.

"Let's leave these two be for now, okay?"  Lailah lightly clapped her hands, smiling fondly.  "They should be fine!"

"Yeah, no worries!" Sorey chimed in, his fists planted on his hips.  "It isn't too dark out, and we already took care of all the hellions."

"We'll be back before it gets too late, promise."  Mikleo smoothed his clothes where Edna had jabbed him.

"Alrighty then!"  Rose gave the boys a salute and a grin.  "We'll make sure there's still food for you when you get back.  Don't catch a cold, guys!"

A quick nod of affirmation was Dezel's only addition to the discussion, and before long the group was on their way back to Pendrago, leaving Sorey and Mikleo alone in the rain.

Once he was certain that the others weren't within earshot, Mikleo approached Sorey, gently bumping shoulders with him.  "So, what brought this up?" he teased.

"I just wanted to spend a bit of time with you, that's all!" Sorey hastily excused.  Mikleo simply smirked, the flush on his cheeks all too obvious.

"Mm, and we had to be out in the rain for that?"

"Well, the rain reminds me of you.  It's calming and gentle...and almost as cold as your feet!"

Sorey was already skittering backwards as he said that, arms tucked close to his sides.  Mikleo's jaw dropped slack for a moment, before he lunged toward Sorey, wedging his fingers under Sorey's arms to tickle him.  Sorey yelped, flailing as he found his defenses lowered.

"M-Mikleooo!!  S-stooop!!" he pleaded between bouts of rancorous laughter, trying to keep his balance.  Mikleo didn't cease his attack, a grin splitting his face ear-to-ear.

And then, he heard a most unusual sound, one he equated to a prickleboar sneezing.

Sorey had snorted.

Mikleo stopped cold, staring at Sorey.  The human's face went as red as the sword on his hip, and the silence stretched on for several seconds until Mikleo's cheeks ballooned out, his own face turning several shades of red as he tried to hold in a laugh.

This was Sorey's chance, and he took the opening, attacking Mikleo's sides with an onslaught of tickles.  Mikleo all but screamed, cackling and laughing hard enough that tears spilled down his cheeks.

And then he hiccupped, and it was Sorey's turn to stop.

The silence stretched for just a few seconds, before a squeak-like hiccup jolted Mikleo's frame.  Sorey snickered, Mikleo covering his face--and hiccuping again.

"Truce?" Sorey offered.

"Truce," Mikleo conceded, uncovering his face with a smile.  Sorey returned it as a grin, before looking up at the pouring clouds overhead.

"Okay, but in all--*hic!*--honesty, Sorey," Mikleo spoke up, "why did you want to stay out here?"

Sorey was silent for a few moments, just looking up at the clouds.  "...I have a confession to make, Mikleo."

Such a serious tone was out of place, coming from Sorey, and the surprise was enough to halt Mikleo's stubborn hiccups.  "What is it?"

Another pause.  "What does it feel like when we armatize, to you?" he asked.  "Does it feel different than when Rose armatizes with you?"

Mikleo blinked, crossing his arms as he thought.  "Well, yeah.  She can use my powers just fine, but it feels...I dunno, like I'm just the bow."

"And when it's with me?"

"...It feels like we're one person.  I can't tell where I end and you begin.  Like we're an extension of each other."

Sorey hummed, then nodded.  "That's how it feels for me, too.  When I armatize with Lailah, or Edna, or Dezel, I can tell that they're still their own entity, guiding me.  But with you, it's like I-- _we_ \--become someone different, acting as one, with nothing dividing us."

"...Do you think it's because we've been together our whole lives?"

"Maybe."

Mikleo hummed in response, observing Sorey for several long seconds.  The seconds ticked into minutes, the silence only permeated by the pattering rain.  A turmoil of thoughts rolled through his mind, and he had no doubts Sorey felt the same.  Before long, he stepped closer to him, resting his head on Sorey's chest.  The gentle thrum of his heartbeat served well to bring his thoughts back to cohesion, and he closed his eyes.  Distantly, he registered Sorey bringing his arms around him.

"...Sorey?"

Sorey gave a small, inquisitive sound, before Mikleo looked up at him.

"...Call my name."

A blink, emerald meeting amethyst, before Sorey realized what Mikleo was asking of him.  He nodded, leaning down to rest his head on Mikleo's shoulder, whispering softly in his ear.

_"Luzrov Rulay."_

Mikleo's body glowed brilliant blue as he sighed quietly, melding into Sorey in a way that reminded the Shepherd of a cascade of cool water.  Mikleo settled into every nook of Sorey's being, molding into a shape that matched the other perfectly.  Their heart raced with excitement, slowed with calm.  Their breathing slowed, evened, deep inhales and steady exhales.

Their eyes opened, and with a wave of their hand, the rain around them scattered, rolling down an invisible bubble to pool harmlessly at their feet.  They stepped forward, the bubble following their movements.  They held out their hand, gathering the rain in a ball just above their palm.

Dipping their fingertips into the shimmering orb, they flourished their hand, the water following their fingers in an arcing spiral.  They drew languid shapes, their arms moving fluidly, as though their body was water itself.

The orb held a finite amount of water, but that was no problem for them.  A soft blue glow illuminated their nails, thin rivulets of water floating and following their movements.  The once slow movements gained more vigor, their feet moving and their body swaying.  Before long, the movements became a dance, graceful as the waves.  They twirled on their toes, arms waving and arcing, ribbons of water trailing their every movement.  They were as the water itself, an ethereal form of white and blue and gold.

They drew in a deep breath, and their voice, a harmonious melody, rang through the air.  It was a ceremonial song written in ancient tongue, one they had painstakingly memorized over the years, singing it in the late hours of night with only books and lanterns as their audience.  It echoed through the fields, clear and true as they danced for what felt like hours.

As the song tapered off, so too did the dance.  The ribbons of water gently fell to the grass, and they took a long moment to recollect themselves.

"Mikleo, that was incredible...!"

_I-it was nothing.  I was just really happy, that's all._

"Riiight.  I can tell it's not that."

_Shut up._

They parted, Mikleo swaying on his feet before Sorey caught him.  Sorey smiled, pulling Mikleo in for another hug.

"...so that's what you wanted to say," Mikleo mumbled, burying his face into Sorey's shoulder.

"Mm-hmm.  That was the best way to tell you."

"I had a feeling.  ...I wanted to tell you the same."

"...Then how about this?"

Sorey leaned in, pressing a kiss to Mikleo's lips.  Mikleo closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Sorey's neck.  As they parted, cheeks dusted pink, Mikleo smiled, and Sorey whispered so softly that the rain drowned it out, but the words were clear.

"I love you, Mikleo."

* * *

When the two returned to the inn, drenched to the bone, they were pleased to find that there was still plenty of stew for them.

They were less than pleased with Edna teasing Mikleo when he spilled a bite over a hiccup.

 

 


End file.
